If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money.
B. B. KingRead
I never use that word, retire.
Interpretation
Retirement is often viewed as an endpoint, but B.B. King emphasizes continual engagement and passion for one's work.
In this quote, B.B. King conveys the idea that he does not believe in the concept of retirement as a cessation of activity. Instead, he suggests that one should remain active and engaged in their passions and pursuits for as long as possible, highlighting the importance of maintaining a sense of purpose and enthusiasm in life.
In practice
In a motivational speech to inspire colleagues to keep pursuing their dreams, even after traditional retirement age.
If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money.
The way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CDs, I'll keep playing until I feel like I can't.
Everything I record, I just try to sound like me and come up with songs that suit what I do and then just go for it. I never know what the public's going to like, anyway.
A guitar is like an old friend that is there with me.
I have not been a good father, but no father has loved his children more. Like my father, I decided the best thing I could do for my kids was work and provide. Fortunately, I've been able to do that. Unfortunately, my work was on the road, and that's meant a life of one-nighters.
People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.
I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That's how I've gotten to where I am.
I've always found the secret is to stay fit and treat sport as a profession. I chose sport as a passion.
It takes energy, mental toughness and spiritual reinforcement to successfully deal with life's opportunities, and to reach your objectives.
It's just life. You have to be able to get up, face your flaws, and just, whatever it is, a step, an inch, you just got to keep moving forward.
I was beaten by police and sat in their precinct holding cell, certain that my future was already decided. And now I will be the person in charge of that precinct, and every other precinct, because I'm going to be the mayor of the City of New York.
I enjoy the fun of failure. It's fun to fail, I kept repeating. It's part of being ambitious; it's part of being creative. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly
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